Notes for: John Bodine, Sr.

They were married in New Jersey by a justice of the peace named "Reading." This comes from "Marriage Records of Hunterdon Co., NJ 1795-1875."

I think this John may be the father of Joseph Maddison Bodine (b. 1798, BK#16614) and possibly, also, Abraham L. Bodine (b. 1808, BK#16612). Joseph's daughter married a Hill and John's son, Peter, had a daughter who married another Hill from the same family.

From: Michael Gesner [TSSC at att.net]
Sent: Saturday, July 19, 2003
Subject: Hi & Ten Most Wanted

Hi Dave:

I'd like to congratulate you on all the fine work on the Bodines! I've only been working on my own tree for about six months now, but can still appreciate all the time you have spent.

On my side, I am connected to the Bodines through Adam Case (my 1st cousin who married Anna Bodine) and possibly Jacob Warman (I haven't been able to connect him with my Warman line as yet) who married Sarah E. Bodine.

On my wife's side, there is Joseph Maddison Bodine who married Elizabeth Creveling (Janet's 1st Cousin) And Adam Wandling Creveling who married Lydia Adeline Bodine (rtf file attached). As you have already found, when two family lines connect in the same town, they are "usually" related.

First, a little background: Janet and I live in the farm house that was subdivided from the Bodine Farm in 1970. William Bodine (b 1808) bought it from a Creveling and handed it down to his son and so on. A few hundred feet behind our house is a single grave, that of Samuel Creveling, who lived on the property before William Bodine. Samuel is Janet's first cousin! Strange Stuff! So our interest in Crevelings and Bodines is well founded.

Disclaimer: I don't pretend to know what I'm doin! But anyway, here are my thoughts:

(1) Joseph Maddison Bodine is "probably" related to Henry Bodine. Same town and both lines connect to the Creveling line. No proof, though.

(2) the "Maddison" middle name might very well be "Mattison". After his MOTHER?? At least Mattison is a real name in both Hunterdon and Warren County. AND, about 3/4 of a mile from our house was Mattison's Mill. I haven't really looked into this and maybe I will but have been too busy with other stuff.

(3) Where did Henry Bodine and Joseph Maddison Bodine come from? My guess is New York but I really don't have a clue. They could be brothers or Joseph could be his nephew? In the early 1800's, there weren't that many people living in Washington (Warren County), NJ: present day Washington Township, just west of the town of Washington. So, for these two to NOT be related would be mighty strange.

(4) About John Bodine (1755-1834). John could easily be Henry's father. Franklin Township is 1/4 mile from my property, the old Bodine farm. But, again, no proof! [Note from DB: I'm not sure which John Bodine Michael is talking about here.]

That's it for now - keep up the good work!

Michael Gesner
Washington, NJ
908-689-1048
mgesner at yahoo.com

From Ronny Bodine:

Jane L. Bodine DeWitt, of Scranton, Pa., corresponded with Mary Elizabeth Sinnott, author of the 1905 "Annals of the Sinnott, Rogers, Coffin, Corlies, Reeves, Bodine and Allied Families," and provided the following record of her family. This correspondence was included in the collection of Ms. Sinnott's papers on deposit with the Pennsylvania Historical Society. This family was not included in Ms. Sinnott's genealogy as she apparently was unable to assign John Bodine to any of the family lines.

Jane DeWitt wrote that she was born 3 Aug 1849 as the daughter of Peter Bodine 1801-1866 and Susan Lefoy and that on 7 Sept 1871 she married Ezra DeWitt. She noted that her grandfather was John Bodine and her great-grandfather was Peter Bodine. It was known that Peter Bodine was the son of John Bodine 1770-1853, but heretofore his parents were unknown. The statement that her great-grandfather was Peter Bodine immediately made it clear that the Peter Bodine whose estate was probated in Hunterdon County in 1796 by his wife and son, John Bodine, was this John Bodine's father and the son, John, of whom nothing more was known, was in fact this John Bodine (1770-1853).

From Hunterdon County, New Jersey Marriage Records: 1 Dec 1795 John Bodine and Esther Mattison by Thos. Reading, J.P.

Esther (Mattison) Bodine is the daughter of Joseph and Catherine (Browne) Mattison.

From New Jersey Federal Census Records:
1830 Mansfield Twp., Warren Co.: John BODINE males 1(10-14), 1(30-39), 1(60-69), females 1(15-19), 1(50-59).

1840 Bethlehem Twp., Hunterdon Co.: Peter BODINE males 2(10-14), 1(30-39), 1(70-79); females 2(0-4), 1(10-14), 1(20-29).

1850 (27 Aug) Bethlehem Twp., Hunterdon Co.: Peter BODINE 49 NJ farmer, Susan 44 NJ, Elizabeth 17 NJ, Daniel 15 NJ, Ellen 14 NJ, Harriet 12 NJ, Kitty 10 NJ, Catharine 8 NJ, Abram L. 6 NJ, Jane 4 NJ, John 80 NJ.

Burials in Bethlehem Presbyterian (aka Grandin) Churchyard, Union Township, Hunterdon County.
(Find A Grave Memorial # 25138288)
John Bodine Senr. 5.26.1770 - 11.5.1853 Esther Mattison His Wife 3.20.1775 - 5.12.1836

John Bodine died intestate, leaving neither a will nor administration. Were it not for the 1868 will of his son Abraham Low Bodine, the names of his children would probably never have been known. Therein, Abraham writes: "At the death of my said Wife I give, devise and bequeath all my real estate and all my personal estate that may then remain to the children and heirs at law of my brothers John, Joseph, Peter and I. Seaborn, and of my Sister Mary, who may be living at the time of the death of my said wife, to them and to their heirs and assigns absolutely."

On 11 Oct 1884, the final estate distribution of Abraham Low Bodine was completed and filed with the Orleans County Surrogate's Court (Final Settlements, vol. D [1882-1887], pp. 209-210). After payment of debts, the remaining amount of $769.51 was divided amongst the 41 children and grandchildren of Abraham Bodine's siblings, as he had outlived his four brothers and one sister. The distribution presents a comprehensive picture of all of his nephews and nieces and recipients were as follows:

John C. Bodine (1796/1800-1848): $34.97 each to his children Daniel H., Maggie, John M., Melvina and Mary and $6.99 each to the 5 surviving children of deceased daughter Catherine Sutphen.

Joseph Bodine (1798-1868): $34.97 each to his children Harriet, Mary, Samuel and Joseph and $17.48 each to the 2 surviving children of his deceased daughter Ann Humphrey.

Peter Bodine (1801-1866): $34.97 each to his children Elizabeth, Daniel, Mary, Hettie, Abraham and Jane.

Mary Bodine (c1805-1832): $17.48 to her son George Nixon and $2.33 each to the 15 children of her deceased daughter Hester Nixon Petty (1830-1874).

Three further heirs cannot be identified: Kate B. Hill and Mary Tyson received $34.97 and so were nieces of Abraham Lowe Bodine; and Samuel Carhart received $17.48 and was a great-nephew.

Some of the vital details originated from Genealogies of the Steadman Family of Nova Scotia and Allied Families, by L. T. Steadman, Rochester NY, 1982. The precise birth dates for the children of Joseph Bodine must have originated from a family Bible and are incorporated here. However, three additional children were noted which seem to be out of place:
Catharine Bodine, born 13 Aug 1814, Agnes Bodine, born 12 Nov 1823, died 14 Sept 1825; and Esther Bodine, born 22 May 1825. There is a gap of nine years between the births of Catharine in 1814 and Agnes in 1823 and when Esther was born, her mother would have been 50. Not impossible, yet....?In 1792 he served in the Hunterdon County Militia from Readington Township. He served as administrator of his father's estate in 1796 with his mother.

***End of info from Ronny.

Ronny also wrote me and said that Genealogies of the Steadman Family listed the children of John Bodine and Esther Mattison with the birth dates we have here for them. And after Abraham Lowe, b. Dec. 4, 1808, the book added "Catharine b. Aug. 13, 1814; Agnes b. Nov. 12, 1823, d. Sept. 14, 1825; and Esther b. May 22, 1825." This may or may not be correct. It's possible that Catharine could have been John and Esther's daughter, but Agnes and Esther are much more uncertain. There is almost ten years between Catherine and these other two girls. It's not impossible, but Esther would have been practically fifty by then. This info is good to keep in mind but remember how uncertain it is.

I don't know if the following applies to this family, but I'll put it here. It came from Donna Tunison:

SCHQ 1915; p. 268
Tabulated Known Conewago Families According to Male Parents
Bodine: Abraham, Daniel, John